Our month 8 debrief took
place in Siem Reap, Cambodia and was one of my favorite weeks of the Race.
After a long and arduous travel (think carrying 75 pounds of stuff for 1.5 miles
in sweltering heat to an undetermined location…awful), we arrived at the Prum
Bayon hotel and thought we’d died and gone to heaven J The “Prumby” had many amenities we World Racers are
not used to experiencing, namely:
*BEDS! Big, white fluffy bed
in which to snuggle in theà
*AIR CONDITIONING! With the
temperature at our discretion, we left a carbon footprint but it was so worth
it
*SHOWERS- no buckets for us
*A CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST-
woke up every morning to an assortment of limitless food and coffee. It got a
little out of hand when racers started hoarding the food in plastic baggies for
later in the day, but what can I say? We’re resourceful. (don’t worry, I didn’t
stoop that low)
*a POOL!- I didn’t swim as
much as I wanted to because I sent my bathing suit home months earlier, but it
was nice to jump in after a long workout
*WIFI- only in the lobby, but
we all took advantage of this luxury. My favorite part about this is that I FINALLY
got to Skype with the Gibsons with the no-longer-fasting-from-the-internet
Elaina Rogers. So fun seeing them face to face.
*ROOM SERVICE- I had never
experienced food being brought to my bed by strangers, so our first night we
all splurged on $6 of burgers & fries-so yummy!
*a real life TELEVISION-
haven’t really used one since our 1.5 weeks of satellite dish bliss in
Mozambique, so we had fun watching Law & Order, the VMAs, and random movies
on TV. Or even watching the news was exciting!
our meeting room where yoga sessions were held, prophesies were shared, worship shook the walls, and laughter echoed
In addition to all the
wonderful gifts straight from the Lord, we had such a sweet time of fellowship,
worship, and teaching during that week. Caroline, the Barnes, and Noe &
Hollis came to visit us from the States, and we loved having them around J We had many talks about the future, what the next
steps are, and a lot of re-energizing to get us through our last 3 months. I
remember when we got to Siem Reap everyone was so tired and not really excited
about our next ministry, but the Lord was so faithful and renewed us
completely! By the last night we were back to our old selves and ready to
tackle whatever He had next for us.
some T-squaders enjoying the Blue Pumpkin
I had some busy days that
started with a Bikram Yoga session with Natalie Dache and guests (via iTunes),
a hearty breakfast, and 10 minute shower. Had our teaching sessions each
morning and then some meetings (finance, team, Rapha reunion, or one-on-ones with
Hollis and Caroline). We would inevitably go out to the Blue Pumpkin (couches
with trays of yummy food and a cool washcloth when you walk in) or Common
Grounds to chat and discuss future plans and what God was teaching us. Loved it!
our beautiful squad with coaches & old squadleaders!
The main idea of this debrief
was to prepare us to go home in 3 months time. I hadn’t thought much about my
post-Race life before this week, but enjoyed seeking what the Lord wanted and
getting advice from the wise, caring people around me. I am not quite sure what
my plans will be in the long run, but here’s the main idea so far:
November 19th–
arrive in LAX! Kiss the ground, weep, and get ready for our 2 day LA adventure
with my squadmates
November 22nd–
land in the Lone Star State. Probably
make a scene when I see my parents, and will most likely go into reverse
culture shock when I get to my house.
November 23rd-26th–
Thanksgiving in Waco, TX with the Klesses! Can’t wait for the big reunion
including a house bursting at the seams with people and dogs
November 27th-28th
-visit College Station! Mostly I just want to go to church and visit everyone
who’s still around. Hopefully I’ll get to hold all the new babies that were
born while I was gone
November 28th-December
1st– Austin to visit my sisters and anyone else who wants to see me
December 1st-December
4th– Houston! Let me know if you want a visit
December 4th– back
to DFW for one of my favorite middle schooler’s performance with the Dallas
Symphony Orchestra!
Rest of December- January 5th:
a jumble of appointments, a trip to Lubbock, working out like it’s my job,
resting, rediscovering America, Christmas, and a possible trip to the One Thing
conference. Basically, stay put for longer than 3 weeks!
January 5th-13th–
Searchlight @ AIM Hqtrs in Gainesvile, GA! A conference they are putting on for
the T, U, & V squads that have just gotten off the field for us to find out
our Kingdom Dreams and get some vision for what’s next in life. I’m hoping a
lot of clarity will come from this time and look forward to a reunion with my
favorite people.
Spring Semester: live with my
parents, sign up for some classes @ TCC (the rest of my pre-reqs for nursing…which
is the direction I’m leaning towards) and find a job! Let me know if you have
any ideas or offers available.
There you go! I suppose
having a plan for 6 months is a pretty great accomplishment, but I’m still hoping
for some more clarity and vision for this next phase of my life. Advice is
welcome!
**photos taken from the amazing Noe Rivera’s facebook…without permission but i’m sure he doesn’t mind 🙂
